JPMorgan, BofA to raise junior banker pay by 20 percent: sources

A Goldman Sachs sign is seen above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in the Manhattan borough of New York January 24, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America Corp are planning to hike salaries of junior employees by at least 20 percent, people familiar with the proceedings said.

JPMorgan executives are determined to pay competitively with other banks and are looking at salary increases of at least 20 percent for some junior employees, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Junior bankers at Bank of America Corp will also receive a raise of at least 20 percent, according to a person familiar with the matter. The raises will go into effect in 2015, the person said.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is also planning to raise pay for junior bankers by 20 percent next year, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.

The pay raise means that first-year analysts will earn about $85,000 before collecting bonuses in 2015, the newspaper said. Analysts who have been at the Wall Street bank longer will earn more.

Citigroup Inc is also considering a similar pay raise, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. (bloom.bg/XBuOe1)

“We continuously review our analyst and associate programs to ensure we attract and retain the best talent,” Citigroup representative Danielle Romero-Apsilos said but did not confirm the Bloomberg reports.

A Goldman Sachs spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. JPMorgan, Bank of America were not immediately available for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

The pay hikes come as Wall Street is making an effort to ease strains on junior bankers by limiting hours they work and compensating them better.

Additional reporting by Lauren Tara LaCapra in New York and Ramkumar Iyer in Bangalore; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker